News about disability and disabled people in Japan

Jehovah’s Witnesses attempt to recruit intellectually disabled people in Kobe

By Barrier Free Japan

August 8th 2018

KOBE, HYOGO PREFECTURE– An activity often seen at JR Sumiyoshi Station, Kobe is this: Jehovah’s Witnesses setting their stall out and often approaching the intellectually disabled.

Jehovah’s Witnesses set out their stall just beyond the ticket barrier at JR Sumiyoshi station. In buildings near the station are a lot of facilities for the intellectually and physically disabled.

Privacy laws in Japan mean that Barrier Free Japan cannot publish photos where the subject of the photo can be can be clearly recognized. However, Barrier Free Japan can definitely state that some of people the Jehovah’s Witnesses often appeal to near JR Sumiyoshi are clearly intellectually disabled.

It should not be suggested of course, that intellectually or physically disabled people are necessarily incapable of understanding what it means to be a Jehovah’s Witness. However, one can point out this; those that have an initial conversation with the Jehovah’s Witnesses at JR Sumiyoshi station in Kobe but walk away, are often met by another group of people nearby, whose purpose it seems, is to keep the person’s interest and attention with a second conversation.